2017 Species List

One of the most satisfying aspects of fishing is the pursuit of different species.  My goal is to catch as many species as I can in one year.  This approach is similar to the activities of birdwatchers.  My birdwatching past is what inspired me to take a species diversification approach to fishing.

Here's the list for 2017.  A total of 57 species were caught; 19 in freshwater and 38 in saltwater. The list includes fourteen new species.  One of these, the Spotted Hake, was caught locally.  One specimen was hooked in Cape Cod Bay and another near Block Island.  Five new species, King Mackerel, Atlantic Croaker, Pinfish, Blue Spotted Sunfish, and Flier were caught during a trip in May to North Carolina.  The other new species were caught in September on a vacation in the Azores. These include: Bastard Grunt, Black Scorpionfish, Dusky Grouper, European Barracuda, Gilthead Seabream, Grey Triggerfish, and Guinean Puffer, .

All species are listed by a common name followed by the scientific name.  The number indicates how many were caught during the year. Letters following the number indicate mode of fishing (see key).  I’ve also included the locations where each species was caught in 2017.

Mode Key:

K  Kayak

SH Shore

MB Private Motorboat

PB Party Boat

CH Charter Boat

IF Ice Fishing

Saltwater

Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulates  (6) SH

Location(s): Carolina Beach NC

Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus (77) K,SH,MB

Location(s): Cape Cod Canal, Cape Cod Bay

Axillary Seabream Pagellus Acarne (2) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Bastard Grunt Pomadasys incisus (1) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Black Scorpionfish Scorpaena porous (1) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata (228) K,SH,MB, PB

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Cape Cod Canal, Westport MA, Block Island RI, Parker River West Yarmouth MA, Woods Hole MA, Coxes Ledge

Black Tail Comber Serranus atricauda (3) CH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (27) K,SH,MB

Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA, Woods Hole MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA

Cod  Gadus morhua (11) PB

Location(s): Stellwagen Bank, Coxes Ledge

Cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus (60) K,SH,MB,PB

Location(s): Cape Cod Canal, Scorton Ledge, Coxes Ledge

Dusky Grouper, Epinephelus margiatus (2) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

European Barracuda Sphyraena sphyraena (1) CH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

False Albacore Euthynnus alletteratus (1) CH

Location(s): Ten miles off Carolina Beach North Carolina

Fluke  Paralichthys dentatus (13) K,MB

Location(s): Plymouth Harbor MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Block Island RI, Westport MA

Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aureate (3) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Grey Triggerfish  Batistes capriscus (1) CH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Guinean Puffer Spheroids marmoratus (3) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus (43) PB

Location(s): Stellwagen Bank

Hickory Shad  Alosa mediocris (4) K,MB

Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport River Westport MA

King Mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla (5) CH

Location(s): Ten miles off Carolina Beach NC

Menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus (17) K,SH

Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA

Northern Kingfish Menticirrhus  saxatilis (5) K,SH

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Parker River West Yarmouth MA

Northern Puffer Sphoeroides maculatus (1) K

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA

Pinfish Lagodon rhomboidalis (6) K,SH

Location(s): Cape Fear River NC, Carolina Beach NC

Pollock Pollachius virens (1) SH

Location(s): Cape Cod Canal

Sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpius (8) K,PB

Location(s): Stellwagen Bank, Scorton Ledge

Scup Stenotomus chysops (266) K,SH,MB,PB

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Woods Hole MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA, Block Island RI, Coxes Ledge

Sea Robin Prionotus carolinus (16) K,SH,MB

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Westport MA

Silverside Menida menida (16) K,SH 

Location(s): Megansett Harbor North Falmouth MA, Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Woods Hole MA

Smooth Dogfish Mustelus canis (2) MB

Location(s): Westport MA

Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthias (9) PB

Location(s): Coxes Ledge,  

Spotted Hake Urophycis regia (2) MB,PB

Location(s): Cape Cod Bay, Block Island RI

Striped Bass Morone saxatilis (325) K,SH,MB

Location(s): Popponesset Bay Mashpee MA, Cape Cod Canal, Barnstable Harbor MA, Meganset Harbor North Falmouth MA, Westport River Westport MA, Scorton Creek Sandwich MA

Tautog Tautoga onitis (43) K,MB

Location(s): Scorton Ledge, Woods Hole MA, Westport MA

Two Banded Seabream Diplodus Vulgaris (5) CH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

White Seabeam Diplodus Sargus (3) SH

Location(s): Sao Miguel Island Azores Portugal

Winter Flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (4) K,PB

Location(s): Cape Cod Bay, Scorton Ledge, Coxes Ledge

Wolffish Anarchichas lupus (1) PB

Location(s): Stellwagen Bank

Freshwater

Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus (1) IF

Location(s): Dunn Pond Gardner MA

Bluegill Sunfish Lepomis macrochirus (19) SH

Location(s): Beaver Pond Franklin MA, Coonamesett River Falmouth MA, Coonamesett Pond Falmouth MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA

Blue Spotted Sunfish Enneacanthus gloriosus (1) SH

Location(s): Croatan National Forest North Carolina

Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis (2) SH

Location(s): Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA

Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (2) SH

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashpee MA

Brown Trout Salmo trutta (7) SH

Location(s): Mares Pond Falmouth MA, Baker Pond Orleans MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA

Chain Pickerel Esox niger (14) SH

Location(s): Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA

Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus  (1) SH

Westfield River Savoy MA

Flier Centrarchus macropterus (4) SH

Location(s): Croatan National Forest North Carolina

Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas (10) SH

Location(s): Santuit Pond Mashpee Ma

Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush (5) IF

Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH

Landlocked Salmon Salmo salar sebego (1) IF 

Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides (18) SH

Location(s): Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA, Coonamesett River Falmouth MA, Coonamesett Pond Falmouth MA, Lagoa de Bras Azores Portugal

Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepomis gibbosus (26)  SH,IF

Location(s): Sheomet Lake, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Hathaway Pond Barnstable MA, South Pond Savoy MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA

Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (31) SH,IF

Location(s): Dunn Pond Gardner MA, Grews Pond Falmouth MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Baker Pond Orleans MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Shubael Pond Barnstable MA, Scargo Lake Dennis MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA

Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu (10) SH

Location(s): Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Scargo Lake Dennis MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA

Tiger Trout Salvelinus fontinalis X Salmo trutta Hybrid (2) SH

Location(s): Baker Pond Orleans MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA

White Perch Morone americanus (7) SH

Location(s): Rushy Marsh Pond Cotuit MA, Johns Pond Mashpee MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Sippican Rver Marion MA

Yellow Perch Perca flavescens (141) IF,SH

Location(s): Lake Winnipesaukee Moultonborough NH, Mares Pond Falmouth MA, Lake Pemigewasset Meredith NH, Sheomet Lake Warwick MA, Spectacle Pond Sandwich MA, Pimlico Pond Sandwich MA, Peters Pond Sandwich MA, Santuit Pond Mashpee MA, Pilgrim Lake Orleans MA, Schoolhouse Pond Chatham MA, Shubael Pond Barnstable MA, Flax Pond Bourne MA, Ashumet Pond Falmouth MA, Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Mashpee MA